If It Were Up To Me
by The Magical Girl
Summary: What if Bella never went cliff diving so Edward never went to Italy? Instead, Bella is engaged to Jacob Black. But at their engagement party, some of the Cullens arrive. Will Edward figure out where his family is? And what is this doing to Jacob?
1. The Party

**Disclaimer: Everything Twilight/New Moon belongs to Stephenie Meyer! And ONLY her. **

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"Bella, where are the glasses?" Charlie stuck his head in the doorway, a look of complete confusion on his face. I didn't blame him; it was a zoo out there!

"They're in the second cupboard to the right, Dad." I finished putting cookies on a platter, and pointing to the cupboard that held the cups and mugs.

"Thanks, Bells. There are just so many people out there…" Charlie had probably never had so many people at his house before. Taking out six glasses and trying to balance them, he shook his head and slowly walked out to give them to guests.

When Jacob and I had announced our engagement to our families, we hadn't expected them to take it as greatly as they had. Billy was already having me call him 'Poppa Black'. And Charlie had come together with Emily to help plan us an engagement party! This was actually taking place at this very moment.

The entire Black family showed up, including Jacob's twin sisters, and all of their friends from La Push. Renee had come with Phil and some of our relatives. And then what seemed to be the entire population of Forks, Washington. Emily and Angela helped me bring food and refreshments out of the kitchen into the living room and outside on the lawn. Jacob had set up some tables outside, and for once it wasn't raining, so we had more room.

"Bella, you should go on and enjoy your party. Angela and I can handle the food, okay?" Emily gave me a gentle, little push and I laughed. Emily and I had become great friends in the past few years. Ever since Jacob had taken me to meet the local pack of werewolves of which he belonged, Emily and I had shared a connection. We were both Wolf Girls, having to worry after our werewolf sweethearts when they were away and then get ready to mend their clothing and feed them when they got back.

"Are you sure?" I asked, looking nervously from the huge mass of people to Angela and Emily, then back at all the people.

"We'll be fine, Bella… Come on, go find Jacob and mingle." Angela giggled, giving me a smile. She had become less shy over time, and had quickly become friends with Emily as well, but she was still the calm, generous Angela I had known in High School.

"Fine, but if I'm attacked by all the elderly women out there who want to know every little detail of my love life then _you _are to blame!" I shot back, walking backwards out of the kitchen so I could point my finger and give them an 'I'm Watching You' look. This probably wasn't the smartest idea, as I then tripped over the rug that lay between the entrances from the kitchen to the living room.

But a pair of strong, warm hands caught me. Giggling, I looked up to see the beautiful face of my fiancé, Jacob Black.

"Why, Mr. Black! I would never have thought that I would see _you _here!" I gasped in mock surprise, as he lifted me up and put me on the ground again.

"As it surprises _me _to see _you _here, Future Mrs. Black!" he said with mock awe, playing along. Laughing, he took my right hand in his.

"I guess now is the time to mingle?" I asked, squeezing his hand and smiling up at him. It still amazed me that I was engaged to _Jacob Black_, my best friend! At one time I had thought that I would never be able to love another person again after my ex-boyfriend Edward Cullen had left me.

But I found out that I was wrong, and I had grown to love Jacob more than a friend. Not that I had ever stopped loving Edward, something which I tried to forget all too often. I shoved my memories of Edward and the Cullens in the back of my mind. Now wasn't the time to dwell on those matters, I had mass amounts of relatives to deal with and an annoying Mike Newton who wouldn't stop eyeing me from the corner.

"Let's go see Rachel and Rebecca, they're over here." Jacob guided me through the crowd in the living room, who all turned to wave and greet us as we went. I hadn't seen Jacob's twin sisters in about a year, and was eager to see new pictures of Rachel's baby who would soon be my niece. Marrying Jacob was opening up all new sorts of new doors for me.

The party had only just started, so it continued on full speed. Jessica and Tyler were arguing over what album to put in the CD player next, though I didn't know who actually invited Tyler… Jacob took me around, introducing me to his family members who I hadn't met, and I introduced him to mine.

After awhile, I got thirsty and couldn't find any of the punch lying around. So it was when I went into the kitchen to get some water that I heard the low rumble of growls in the living room. And they could only be coming from the resident werewolves that were now in my father's house.

I hurried into the living room, where some people were looking around with confused faces. Emily was by Sam's side, looking frightened. Jacob was by me in a second.

"Jake, what's going on?" I asked, not understanding why he was putting such a protective arm around my waist. Quil was leaning in the doorway to the outside, and I could already see Embry hanging by my mailbox.

"We can smell bloodsuckers…" he told me, under his breathe so no one else could hear. Everything seemed to stop; I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I hadn't seen any of the Cullens since the day Edward left me in the forest. And Laurent and Victoria were dead. So who could it be? It seemed more likely to be a Cullen. I hated that I felt so excited and hopeful, even if it was Edward who didn't love me anymore.

I took Jacob's arm off my waist and instead took his hand, leading him through the crowd which had now gone back to normal. He didn't resist me, thankfully. We passed Quil who just nodded at us, and went to join Embry by the mailbox.

Coming down the road was a very fancy and nice BMW; it looked like one of the newer models. It stopped a few feet away from the mailbox. In a matter of seconds a small figure darted out of the car's door and looked around quickly.

Alice Cullen turned her head and her imperial topaz eyes met my own brown ones. A wide, happy smile grew across her face and I let go of Jacob's hand to go running into her arms. Jacob didn't look happy and Embry practically choked on a piece of fruit he was eating.

"Alice, Alice… Oh my god… Alice!" was all I could say as tears began streaming down my face in shock. She was exactly as I remembered her, down to the same haircut and clothes style.

"Bella… it's so good to see you too." She sighed, hugging me back, but she was somewhat stiff and restrained. I had forgotten how hard it was for vampires to be this near humans. I could hear other doors slam shut and more footsteps coming from the house towards us.

"Bella, what's going on here?" Sam called out, now standing with a confused Emily, Jacob, Quil and Embry. They must have left Paul inside the house to keep an eye on everything.

"I wish I could tell you…" I shook my head, stepping out of Alice's arms. All I could do was stare at her in awe.

"Silly Bella, aren't you even going to say 'hi' to the others?" she asked, raising an eyebrow and looking to the car. Quickly, my head snapped in the direction of the car. There stood Jasper and Emmett, grinning at me. Emmett them ran in my direction and picked me up in a huge bear hug, Jasper laughed and went to go be with Alice.

"You have nothing to fear, wolves." Alice said simply, "We're only here to wish Bella and her fiancé our congratulations. Not to cause any sort of trouble." These words warmed me inside. The hole inside me that had developed when Edward left was now aching at old memories, and yet at the same time soothed by their appearance.

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**Authors Note: Hey, thanks for reading the first chapter of 'If It Were Up To Me'. I welcome reviews of any sort; let me know what you're thinking! Now, if you're thinking 'Oh my god, I HATE Jacob! Edward and Bella belong together!' Please calm down. I seriously have no idea of where this plot is going. I only know the next few chapters or so. I love Jacob **_**and **_**Edward, so there's a 50/50 chance. **


	2. Catching Up

The party had broken up afterwards, and all the people wished Jacob and I their congratulations and left. Sam, Emily, Embry, Quil, Jacob and I sat down in the living room with the Cullens. Charlie had gone upstairs to relax after the party and Renee had left for her hotel in Port Angeles.

I sat on the couch with Alice, unable to let her leave my sight or side. Jacob was glowering at this as he leaned against the wall, and all the other werewolves were by him and just waiting to attack. But they then relaxed and looked a bit more at ease, it must have been at Jasper's handy work. Emmett and Jasper stood behind the couch, looking like body guards from a gangster movie.

"Why did you guys come back? Is Carlisle and Esme here?" I had so many questions for them, and wanted to go on but Alice held up her hand to stop me.

"I had a vision of you getting engaged and then having this party. So I told Jasper and Emmett, who decided that we should come see you. Carlisle and Esme aren't in Forks, but they _are _close." She nodded, looking up at Jasper to see if he wanted to explain the rest.

"Carlisle and Esme wanted to see you, but they were afraid that if too many of us came at once it would raise suspicion. So they're waiting for us to call and say that we've found you alive and in good health. And then it's up to you if you want to see them." Jasper said in his smooth voice, and there was a nice smile on his face. I remembered just how much I actually liked Jasper, and it was obvious that he wasn't having such a hard time around humans anymore.

"Of course I want to see them!" I gasped, "Call them now! Can you do that? Please!" I grinned, practically bouncing up and down like a happy little girl. My vampires had returned to me, and it wasn't another dream of mine. It was actually _real. _

"Wait one minute," Jacob's voice cut across my happy mood like a knife, "Are you all here to stay? Is _he _going to be coming here?" I winced at the slight mention of Edward, and I suddenly felt horrible. I didn't think I could handle even the thought of Edward in Forks.

"Don't worry!" Emmett's cheery voice boomed across the room, "We're only here to visit Bella! We've been worrying about her."

"And I think we might have had a _very _good reason to…" Alice's voice was unusually cold, and she stared pointedly at the werewolves. "Werewolves are dangerous, especially young ones. I respect Bella's choice of friends, but I still care about her safety."

"We would _never _hurt, Bella!" Jacob growled, moving forward but Sam put a hand on his chest to stop him. Alice looked away and shrugged, but then looked at me as I tugged on her hand.

Taking a deep breathe, I asked the unanswered question. "_Is_ he coming?" The rest of the room seemed to stop and Jake was looking furious.

"Edward has no idea where any of us are. The last time he checked in with us was a few months ago and he was in Africa. Rosalie knows where we are, but she promised to protect her thoughts from him if he came around to see her. We plan for him to never know we have visited you." She answered, and beyond her neutral expression I could see a pained look in her eyes.

"Good." Sam said, and the others nodded along with him. For the first time since the Cullens had arrived, Jacob looked at ease. I got up off the couch and made my way over to him, taking his hand. I gave him a small smile hopefully, and after a moment he returned the smile.

"So, Bella… tell us everything. How old are you and Jacob now?" Emmett leaned down against the couch, grinning. Jasper went to sit where I had been with Alice.

"I'm twenty-one now, and Jacob's eighteen." I answered truthfully, and if they were surprised at our age difference they didn't show it. Jacob and I didn't care about it, since according to our age game he was in his fifties and me in my forties.

"We've been engaged for about a month now. I'm taking a few community college classes and Jacob is working in a local garage, but he's going to open his own one day. He's an amazing mechanic, probably the best in the area." I bragged, feeling very proud and protective of my Jake. Quil and Embry couldn't help but snicker and roll their eyes.

Jasper chuckled, feeling my fervent pride. "When are you getting married?"

"At the end of August, so we only have a month." Jacob answered this one, surprising us all.

"Oh my _god_!" Alice screeched, getting a bunch of confused looks. "But… how are you going to plan it all? There's so much to do! Jasper, go call Carlisle and Esme. Tell them that we aren't leaving until the end of the month, after Bella's wedding. She will of course, need our help." A look of intense seriousness was across her face, daring anyone to defy her.

"Uh… Bella?" Jasper looked over to me with a questioning expression, wondering if this was alright with me.

"Um… Jacob?" I looked up at him, giving him the 'Is this okay with you?' look. Which he nodded to, but then looked at Sam with an expression saying 'It is okay, _right_?'

Sam nodded. "As long as they remember the Treaty they can stay." Alice and Emmett gave each other a high-five with a "Yeeeess!"

Sam, Embry, Emily and Quil left shortly after that. Emily had given me a hug and reminded me that we still had to go dress shopping. Unfortunately I knew Alice hadn't missed that, and I had a sinking feeling as I recalled crazed shopping sessions with her. Embry and Quil had patted Jacob on the back and walked out the door.

Alice got up and gracefully skipped across the room to me. She looked Jacob up and down, and then held out her hand to him. A look of shock spread over his face and I watched as they shook hands. Then Emmett shook his hand, and then Jasper. I was speechless, waves of love for them all washing over me.

"Bella's like a sister to us and a daughter to Carlisle and Esme. We all love her very much. So you better take good care of her." Emmett said, looking calm and happy. But you could see behind his words a seriousness that said 'Hurt her and die.'

Jacob nodded, understanding. "I'll take care of her with my life." They nodded, satisfied. I received a round of hugs from them all and a promise to call me the next morning.

"You aren't going to leave, right?" I asked with fear, gripping Alice's arm with my hand. "You'll be back?"

She nodded, "We're just going to go to Carlisle and Esme. Then maybe go and see if we can return to our old house. We _will _need somewhere to stay." I let out a sigh of relief, glad.

I sat on my bed, overwhelmed from all that had happened today. Tiredly, I looked in the direction of my window, wondering when Jake would get here. Everything had gone back to normal after Jacob left a few hours ago. Charlie and I had eaten dinner, watched some TV and I had talked to Renee on the phone who was complaining about her hotel.

Usually every night Jacob would sneak into my room and then be gone before Charlie checked in on me in the morning. I hated to be alone at night, it frightened me. The blame was probably on Edward, who had always held me while I slept and made me feel so safe. Jacob knew he could get into my room without Charlie knowing, because of the time when he came to see me in the night to try and hint about him being a werewolf.

Eventually he landed in my windowsill, grinning at me smugly. I rolled my eyes; it was nothing new that he could jump from a tree to a window.

"Hey…" I batted my hand in his direction as a wave. He laughed, coming over and sitting on my bed.

"How are you?" I asked, hoping he wasn't mad about the Cullens. His smile dropped somewhat and he sighed, shrugging.

"It's just hard, seeing you with them again. I just keep expecting _him _to come through the door and sweep you away." He grumbled, explaining. We had become pretty good at sharing our feelings with one another.

"Yah, but I've already _been _swept away." I smiled, using my index finger to poke his nose. "And I do believe that you were the one with the broom." I had learned to hide any remaing feelings for Edward from him, but I really did love Jacob. So what did it matter?

"Yes, indeed. That's me, Mr. Sweeper." He laughed and I shushed him, hoping Charlie hadn't heard. Charlie had caught Jacob in my room before. But it always baffled him that all Jacob and I were doing was playing Go Fish and Yahtzee. No wonder Charlie was alright with us getting married.

"You sound like Mr. Clean!" I giggled, picturing Jacob with a shining bald head, white eyebrows and a single gold hoop earring. Then we snuggled together, and even though it was July I still loved how warm Jacob was. I fell asleep as he held me, dreaming of wedding cakes, bridesmaids and vampires.

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Author's Note: Thanks for all the great reviews! Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, I'll try to update again soon. I know some of you guys want to see Edward, but don't worry. He'll get here eventually -


	3. Rosalie and Esme

**(Third Person)**

Rosalie Cullen lay on her huge, fancy bed. Living in a villa in Italy was so glamorous and fun, even if she could only go out after twilight when it wasn't raining. Looking up at the ceiling she sighed. It could get so boring without Emmett though, she missed her husband dearly.

Getting up and off the bed, Rosalie took a look at herself in the mirror on the wall. She of course, looked amazing with her curvy form, gorgeous hair and skin. She wasn't really sure why she bothered to look in mirrors anymore, but it was a human habit she couldn't drop.

_ Why hasn't Emmett called me yet?_ She thought glumly, wondering what he was doing right now. The thought of Emmett trying to cram an irritated grizzly bear into a cereal bowl popped into her mind, making Rosalie giggle. _I wonder if he worries about me like I do about him... _That made her smile, because there was really only one thing she couldn't live without.

You could withhold money, clothing, music, and amazing cars from Rosalie but it wouldn't affect her _that_ much. But if Emmett wasn't there, then she really was in trouble. He was her one and only and just picturing him in her head made Rosalie feel dizzy with happiness.

Wandering throughout the medium sized villa that she and Emmett shared, Rosalie casually wondered if Alice, Jasper and Emmett were having a good time in Forks again. She suddenly felt a little guilty for not joining them, but she had been so mad when Emmett had declared he was going!

She couldn't possibly just go _now _without one of them rubbing it in her face. Plus she wasn't sure what she would say to Bella. _Congratulations, maybe? Or how have _you _been while Edward has lived a life of emptiness and self-induced pain? _

"Maybe I'll just call them…" Rosalie rolled her eyes, deciding that it was useless to worry and wonder over this constantly. _Who cares about stupid _Forks, _Washington when I'm in _Italy She scoffed at this, and as she picked up her cell phone she started making plans in her head to go to Rome sometime to keep herself busy.

After Rosalie dialed his number, Emmett's phone rang only once before he picked it up. "Hi, hun, how are you?" He was glad to hear from her, it was obvious in the way he spoke.

" I'm missing you like crazy, of course." Rosalie smiled, loving the sound of his voice.

"I miss you too! But you _won't_ believe who Bella is engaged to!" Emmett sounded like he was laughing and trying to be serious at the same time.

"Lemme guess, that Mike Newton kid. He had a huge thing for her right?" _Ew, from Edward to Mike?_ She hoped not.

"No way, Bella's not stupid. But then again, she fell for a _werewolf_!" There was a kind of confused awe in his voice.

If she had been drinking something, not that she drank anything but blood, Rosalie most likely would have spit it out.

"You're kidding, right? That's crazy. Well, good luck to _her_… So when are you coming home?" Rosalie laughed, shaking her head. She plopped onto the leather sofa in the living area, snuggling up to a cushy, red pillow.

"Um, actually it's a weird story. But, Rose, Alice is planning for everyone to stay for about a month. Bella's wedding is going to be at the end of August, and Alice is sure that she's going to need our help. But I can come home anytime, really!" Emmett was just trying to trick both his self and her into thinking that he didn't mind leaving early and Rosalie knew that.

Now, she wasn't exactly Bella's biggest fan, not that she hated her at all. But Rosalie tried to put her husband's happiness before her own feelings. And this would have to be one of those times. After the Cullens had left Forks, Rosalie had begun to feel wierd about the way she had treated Bella, but she knew that she would have to take small steps towards liking Bella. Though she could just let him stay there, she mused. _No, I couldn't do that. Besides, a whole _month _without Emmett or anybody else would be pure torture! _

"Emmett, I'll book myself a flight. I should be there in a day or so. But make sure we have somewhere nice to stay, I don't want to live a hotel room for a month, alright?" Even though she didn't want to leave Italy, the prospect of seeing Emmett and the rest of the family outshone that. Emmett crowed with happiness, making her laugh and forget all her worries.

Sometimes all you needed was a nice, silly guy to look forward to seeing to make it through the night. Unfortunately, Rosalie had been unaware of some guests who had been planning on visiting her that day. They had been too far away for her to smell or see them, so she didn't know they were in the area. So Rosalie continued talking to Emmett, all throughout the night and into the morning. It was a good thing they had Verizon Network: They never stop working for you!

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**(Esme/First Person)**

Carlisle and I sat on the loveseat in our hotel room as Alice scurried around making phone calls. Alice had promised that since she was the one who wanted to stay, she would arrange our living situation. Emmett had gone into his own room so he could talk to Rosalie, and Jasper sat on the edge of the bed. We should probably have all been hunting. It seemed we would all be around humans far more than we had been in awhile.

"My dear, you look a bit hungry. Do need something to drink right away or shall we go later?" Carlisle looked at me, taking my hand and squeezing it. After all these years, I was still filled with joy whenever he touched me and I smiled.

"I'll be alright for now. But the rest of us should go hunting very soon, just in case." I responded Jasper and Carlisle nodding in agreement.

"We can go tomorrow after we see Bella in the morning. She said she had class, but she wanted to see us as soon as possible." Jasper spoke up, "She looked pretty afraid that we wouldn't go and see her."

"Well what do you expect after last time?" Alice chimed as she got off the phone with the realtor.

"Yes, that is true. It may take some time before Bella can fully trust us again." Carlisle sighed, looking somewhat downcast because of this.

"I don't want to disappear from her life again." It seemed important to state my true feelings. I had agreed to move with the rest of the family when Edward wanted to go for Bella's sake. For Edward it was like his whole life had slipped away afterwards, but for the rest of us it was like something was missing. No cute, clumsy human girl to look out for and care for.

"I don't want to lose another daughter! The idea of her growing up without us, finding a job and raising children…. I want to be there for her." I took both of Carlisle's hands in mine, clutching to them.

"I understand completely, Esme. I think we all feel the same! But I'm just not sure of how to deal with Edward on this... If he knew where we were now, he would be outraged and heartbroken that we had gone to see her when he believes he cannot." I knew Carlisle only spoke the truth of the matter when it came to Edward.

"I don't want to live with an angry Edward for eternity. But we only get a small amount of time to be with Bella..." Alice sighed, looking sad at the fact that she couldn't see her friend without her brother being mad.

"She's been through a lot of pain." Jasper said softly, "When she saw us, it was like all the trauma and hardships she had to go through once we left flooded her memory. It was horrible, it felt so… dead. But she seems happier now. I'm glad, and I agree with Esme. We shouldn't have to stay out of her life. Especially now that she is surrounded by _werewolves_!"

We all stared at Jasper; he hadn't spoken this much the entire trip. Alice came over to him and patted him on the back and giving him a light kiss on the cheek.

"So, do you think Bella would make me the godmother of one of her children? That would be nice, a human baby… I mean, tempting, but still. They're just so cute!" Alice gushed, breaking the silence that had followed after Jasper. Carlisle, Jasper and I broke out into laughter and after a second Alice joined us as well.

"Please don't tell me you're naming those unborn children in your head right now, Alice…" Carlisle chuckled.

"What? You don't like Emma and Lewis? Though I do like William as well… Maybe she'll have triplets!" Alice looked hopeful at the prospect of Bella having many happy, plump babies.

"I don't think Bella would be very happy with you if she heard you talking like this." Jasper teased, and she swatted at him with her hand.

"Alright you two, off to your own room. It's getting late and Esme and I are tired and need our sleep." Carlisle joked, waving them away. Alice and Jasper got up, laughing lightly and skipped out of the room hand in hand.

"Hm, seems we have a lot to deal with for the moment…" I mused, getting up from the loveseat and stretching.

"Yes, but we can deal with this all in due time." He nodded, moving over to the bed where he could lie down and finish a book he had been reading. I joined him, picking up my own book on wedding planning which Alice had bought after seeing Bella.

"You know dear…" Carlisle started, glancing over at me.

"Yes?" I looked back at him, smiling.

"What do you think of the names Lucas and Mary? I think I'm going to root for those…"

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**Author's Note: Review, please! You'll get to see the story from Bella's eyes again next chapter. I have been updating daily with these three chapters, but I may not be able to do that for the remainder of this week. One of my basset hounds is _very_ sick with cancer so I want to spend as much time as I can with him. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and alerted, you guys are great! **


	4. The Birth of the Bear with a Unicycle

The Cullens had already stopped by to see me this morning. It really hit me then, that everything that was going on was real. They were back and were going to help me with my wedding for a whole _month. _Charlie had had some sort of stand off with Carlisle and Emmett when they arrived, but Alice was soon able to sooth him. He was just worried that Edward would come back with them and break my heart. Again.

Now I was driving to Port Angeles, where I attended some community college classes. I would meet Mike and Angela over there for coffee before my first class. All three of us had decided to stay near home, and ended up on the same campus. Tyler and Jessica were off doing different things nearby. Last we had heard from Lauren was that she had tried to become a model in New York. It didn't work out so well for her.

I pulled up at The Coffee Pot, parked and got out. It was a small place nearby, with a forest green door and curtains. Walking inside I could see Mike and Angela sitting in our usual table. Angela waved to me, but Mike was glowering horribly.

I don't think I had seen him that bad since the time he couldn't get a date to Senior Prom. He had ended up going with his cousin from Ohio. So I carefully sat down, and looked to Angela for an explanation. She gave me a worried glance and was about to say something when Mike cut to the chase.

"Why are _they _back?" he spat, sullenly adding sugar to his coffee and stirring it around. It got a bit creepy after the sixth packet of Splenda. Angela was looking away as she sipped her iced tea.

"Do you mean the Cullens? Because they do have a name you know…" I mentioned airily, waving for the waitress to come over and take my order.

"Yes, _them. _So why are they back? How long will they be here? Are _all _of them coming?" Mike kept shooting questions at me, only taking a break when the waitress finally walked over and I ordered a hot chocolate.

"Mike, calm down… Doctor Carlisle, his wife and their children Jasper, Emmett, and Alice are here. And Rosalie will be arriving shortly… Why do you care so much?" I gave him a funny look and then looked to Angela. She was now just looking into her cup as if nothing else existed. I really couldn't blame her.

"Bella… I didn't want to make a scene at your engagement party, none of us did. So we've been holding our tongues as long as possible!" Mike was now looking somewhat abashed, as if he were having second thoughts on having this conversation.

"Well then maybe you should all just hold your tongues for a little while longer. They're just staying for a month to help me with the wedding plans and then stay for the ceremony. Oh, and _no he won't _be here." I answered the unasked question that would have come up at some point. Mike's attitude got old soon, and I didn't think I wanted to deal with it anymore today.

"Mike, I think you should apologize to Bella." Angela said quietly, finally looking up at Mike. "You've been rude, and it must be stressful for Bella right now. Imagine getting married and having old friends that you love come back and everyone seemed to hate them. Would you like that? I'm sure she doesn't need this." We all just stared at Angela in surprise; even the waitress dropped her tray of muffins as she walked by. In response to this, she just shrugged and gave a small smile.

"Uh- um… Right, I'm sorry Bella. It's just that you're my, well my friend…. And I don't want to see you get hurt." Blushing he scratched his head, looking away. It seemed he had a hard time forgetting that we _would never_ and _could never_ be more than friends. But at least the real reason was still caring in some ways.

"Thank you, Mike. Your apology is accepted. But barely. Now, did you see Professor Wood's new haircut…?" and soon we were all laughing, showing each other cell phone pictures and eating lots of muffins. Sometimes these friends of mine could be a major pain, but we were still able to have a great time and just laugh. Charlie would say that's what counts.

"Oh my god! Jacob, are you okay?" I screeched into the phone, as I heard a clatter of pots and pans in the background.

"Yah – yah… I'm fine, don't worry about me! I just, you know… fell into the pantry. I do that sometimes for fun." Jacob answered in a pained voice, but still trying to sound cool.

"Alright, Mr. Tough Stuff. You fell in the pantry. Except one thing, neither of us _have _a pantry." Both Charlie and Billy's houses were too small to have pantries, so I wondered where Jacob was. Maybe he was at Sam's house; they had a nicely sized kitchen.

"Oh, well… You've caught me." He sighed, "_But _you're going to have to wait and see!" Jacob's sounded gleeful at this prospect.

"I don't like surprises, Jake." I warned, glaring at the cell phone I held.

"Bella, believe me, you're going to love this one." And with that, our conversation came to an end. Or in other words, he hung up on me. That's just great.

Wandering the campus, it was time to go home. Not that I wanted to though. Whereas the constant wet greenness of Forks could be boring, the beautiful green hills here felt so happy. There were flowers everywhere and grand trees that had great limbs for climbing. The buildings weren't so shabby either, with cozy classrooms and working heaters and air conditioners.

I found myself loving the little bits of college I was finding here. I had even made some nice new friends! Angela was great company, but I couldn't always be spending my time with her and Mike. Especially Mike. Amazingly enough I was able to find guy friends who weren't always waiting to ask me out.

_I should probably go home and greet Rosalie… She should be here very soon. _I thought, sighing. The idea of seeing Rosalie again almost made me nervous. She had never seemed to like me, but maybe things could change now. Nodding in resolution, I marched onwards to my car.

**(Emmett/First Person)**

I was hopping up and down in anticipation. I couldn't wait any longer; I wanted to see my wife so badly! Even a day or so felt like years. It would be good again to hold her and know she was safe by my side. Besides, Alice kept putting a beanie on my head and calling me 'Mett the Monkey.

We were all in the lobby, sitting down and waiting. As the TV screen reporting on the boarding and landings of the plane flickered, changing information I could hear Bella walking in. She came! The dislike that always seemed to be in between them made me upset. So it meant a lot to me that Bella would come to see Rosalie arrive.

"Oh, look. Rose's plane has landed. It'll only be a few minutes now." Esme smiled, and then turned around to wave Bella over in our direction. Bella, catching sight of us grinned and bounded over. We all took a sudden intake of breath as Bella tripped over a baby's pacifier (who knew what it was doing there…) but quickly righted herself up.

"Bella, I'm so happy you're here." Carlisle smiled his slow, easy smile that could melt any heart. Alice twirled over and grabbed Bella's arm.

"So I've arranged for you, Esme, Rosalie, Emily and I to go dress shopping." She squealed happily, grinning like a maniac. Fear flashed in Bella's dark eyes, making us all laugh.

"You talked to Emily?" she asked, sounding almost confused. But shopping and Alice could be confusing, I went with her once. In the first five minutes I found myself posing as an Abercrombie & Fitch model. Which meant I only had pants, a scarf and a hat on while standing next to a moose head with a canoe paddle. It was the most frightening experience of my eternal life.

"Oh, yeah… She seems nice! Plus she owns all the great Bridal magazines and surprisingly has good taste. I think we'll get a long." Alice was gazing off into her own little world, and you could see the words 'Vera Wang Bridal' written all over Esme's face.

"EMMETT!" Rosalie bounded in our direction, going a bit faster than a normal human could go. She leapt into my arms and I let out a laugh. Jasper shook his head with a smile on his face; he could feel the happiness bouncing off me and Rosalie.

After I let go of her, Rose turned to face Bella. A hesitant smile played on her lips; she slowly and awkwardly hugged Bella. This caused Bella a great deal of surprise and she almost fell over. We all laughed, and they exchanged real smiles. This was going greater than a bear on a unicycle!

_Heh Heh… bear on a unicycle. I gotta remember to try that out with Jasper… _I smiled a silly smile and chuckled to myself. Taking Rose's hand in my own, I gestured for us to file out of the airport.

Walking past the small stores inside, Alice kept pointing at the magazines with brides on the cover and gabbing to Rose and Bella nonstop. This was going to be one heck of a wedding. I just hoped Edward _never _found out, and if he did… Well, I just didn't want to be the one who let him knew.

**(Third Person)**

"Jared, calm down! I don't like it anymore than you do, but for Bella's sake please!" Jacob said in exasperation. The whole pack was standing out on Sam's porch, and had been telling Jared and Paul all the details on what they had missed while they were in California with family.

"Calm down? _Calm down? _There are _bloodsuckers _back here, and you want me to calm down? What the hell is the matter with you, Jake?" Paul spat, looking like he was about to burst. Sam walked over and handed Paul his glass of water, which he took with shaky hands.

"They are here for one month? And only that, right?" Jared asked, rubbing his forehead.

"This morning they told Bella that they didn't want to stay out of her life. But Bella's one of us now, so she told them they could only visit a week at a time." Jacob looked anxious for some approval, or praise on Bella's side.

"Yah, well if she's one of us-" Embry's snippy words were cut off from a loud growl from Jacob and Sam.

"Oh, right… Sorry, Sam, I forget about the whole 'If you insult Bella you insult Emily…'" Embry trailed off, looking ashamed and mouthing the words 'sorry' to Jacob. He sighed and shrugged, giving his friends a weak smile.

"We need to stick together right now. Get through this and protect the people of La Push and Forks. Okay, guys?" Sam crossed his arms in front of his chest and stared down all the guys. Everyone nodded and Quil gave a howl, making everyone shake their heads laughing and howl along.

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**Author's Note: Hey, everybody. I had hoped I would have been able to update again earlier, but I was unable to.I mentioned in my last note that my dog was very sick, so we actually had to put him to sleep on Wednesday. Unfortunately, I will be internet-less until Thursday. So my next update will most likely be Friday. Horrible, I know. And OH MY GOD! ECLIPSE will be out by then! I'm actually more worried than I am excited. What is going to happen to my darling, dear Jacob Black? And will Bella become a vampire? I'm not sure if I want her to become one. I just hope there's lots of Cullen :3 Emmett, Esme... I dun care. Me wants Cullen.**


	5. Dress Shopping

"Ooh, Bella! Look at this one!" Alice motioned for me to come over. We had been dress shopping for almost three hours and I was exhausted. Esme had been really great, rescuing me from the most horrible of Alice and Rosalie's suggestions and feeding me granola bars when I looked like I would drop dead.

"I don't know, Alice… It seems a bit lacey for Bella's tastes." Emily pointed out, fingering the mass amounts of lace and tulle. At first Emily had been uncomfortable with the Cullen women and Sam kept every five minutes making sure she was alive. But it seemed that shopping and weddings brought different people together and Emily just stayed by me for the most part.

"She's right, Alice. But Bella, are sure you want a white dress? Light pinks are totally in right now." Rosalie pointed to some pictures of non-white wedding dresses in some magazines. Alice put the dress back on the rack, but was quickly riffling through them again.

"I think so, it's more traditional." I sighed, plopping down on one of the chairs set up for costumers. We were in one of those small, designer brand names only boutiques for wedding dresses. Esme had told me that she would take care of the bridesmaid dresses, so I didn't have to worry about Alice going crazy over that.

"It's alright, Bella. You'll know when you see the right dress." Emily promised, coming over to pat my shoulder. I smiled up at her, thankful that she was here with me.

"Right, and when you find it you won't be making a fuss over the price, alright?" Alice turned to look at me, daring me to say otherwise.

"Oh, but Alice… I can't have you guys paying for so much! I've already agreed to let you pay for other things. We have to compromise on this!" I crossed my arms over my chest, deciding to be as stubborn as I liked.

"If that's how you feel, Bella." Esme shrugged, shooting a look at Alice and Rosalie to keep quiet. Alice let out an exasperated sigh and Rosalie snickered, but only Rosalie could still look lady-like while snickering.

I got up and went to a rack of dresses, shuffling through them. Grumbling to myself I moved onto the next one. Who knew it was so hard to find a dress I would wear for only one day? I wasn't even sure what I was looking for. I had only fantasized about my wedding with Colonel Brandon from _Sense and Sensibility_… and of course, Edward. But I pushed those thoughts from my mind, quickly.

"Bella," Emily quietly walked up besides me, "I think we've found something you might like…" she trailed off and I looked over my shoulders. In Rosalie's hands there was a strapless A-line gown with satin draping and silver embroidery; it also had a chapel train. The breath went out of my lungs as I stared at the beautiful gown.

"It's… amazing." I nodded, Rosalie grinned and Alice clapped her hands excitedly.

"Try it on, dear." Esme urged, pointing towards the dressing rooms. I quickly took the dress and went into the small room where I flung off the clothing I was wearing and struggled to get the dress on. Esme actually had to come in and help me put it on without hurting the dress.

Finally I walked out of the dressing room, looking to the others anxiously. Emily was laughed happily and Alice bounced on over to me.

"It looks great on you, Bella!" Alice squealed, "You _have _to get it!" Rosalie nodded her agreement. I looked at myself in one of the large mirrors set on the walls. I certainly didn't look like how I envisioned myself marrying Colonel Brandon, but it was still awesome.

"There are so many butterflies in my stomach right now…" I confessed to my friends, looking at myself nervously. "Do you think Jake will like it?" I blushed crimson red, feeling silly for asking that.

"If that boy is sane, he will!" Esme laughed, adjusting the skirt of the gown. Rosalie giggled and Alice was just jumping up and down for joy.

"You know, Sam tells me that Jacob keeps thinking about the wedding. He's been trying to envision the dress you'll wear in his head. Sam's descriptions of them don't even come near to this dress." The half of Emily's face that wasn't mangled turned up in a smile, and there was a teasing light in her eyes.

"Thanks…" I was still blushing, somewhat embarrassed. It seemed Jacob had been thinking about this far more than I had been. _But that doesn't mean I don't care, right? Would I be thinking about this more if it were me and Edwar- _. I cut that thought off, shaking my head. No, I just wasn't the kind of person who imagined up huge, elaborate weddings. At least I hoped so.

"Are you okay, Bella? You look a little… distracted?" Esme asked, looking at me with motherly love. I really was so lucky and happy to have all of these people here with me. Renee hadn't been able to come shopping with us, so it was nice having another Mom with me.

"Yah, I just got caught up. Old memories…" I muttered, and I could see a look of understanding on her face. I so badly wanted to put all the memories and love I had for Edward into a box and just ship it all away. But I never would be able to, and I felt so horrible for Jacob who fell in love with a broken women.

"What happens next?" I asked them, turning to look at my shopping companions.

"What do you mean?" Rosalie gave me a confused look, and Alice looked from Esme to me.

"What happens after you get married? I mean, it's really different from just being a couple, right?" I wanted things to become comfortable and known between me and Jacob.

Our friendship had always seemed natural, and then when I agreed to become his girlfriend it was like being rained on with sunshine. After becoming engaged, Jacob and I were closer than ever. We knew we would be spending the rest of our lives together. So what would happen after we got married?

"Kids!" Alice gasped with excitement, "Oh, I totally forgot… So, Bella we were thinking that you should-" Rosalie cut her off by slapping her hand over Alice's mouth.

I just gaped at them, my eyes becoming wider. Emily nervously motioned that she was going to go call Sam outside. Alice struggled against Rosalie's hand, glaring daggers at her sister.

"Well, uh, Bella… children do usually come after a few years of marriage. Alice was just getting excited!" Esme tittered, shooting Alice a look that said 'Not _now_!'

"Oh my god, I haven't even _thought _of that yet." I gasped, and rushed back over to my chair.

"Children are really great, Bella. Don't you want some?" Rosalie asked, confusedly. She finally released her death grip on Alice. Alice staggered around, taking in huge breathes of air.

"Oh, please. We don't even need to breathe." Rosalie rolled her eyes, and giving Alice an incredulous look. Alice sulked off past me, but not before whispering "Triplets… you want LOTS of triplets…!" in my ears. I swear I could have fainted.

"Woah, I don't know if I could become a mom so… soon!" I protested, thinking that they were crazy just to bring it up now.

"Life's short, Bella. Take advantage of it because you never know what's going to happen." Rosalie gave me a knowing look, and I suddenly realized that she of all people would really know that. Maybe they were right, when your soon-to-be Husband was a werewolf anything could happen. And like they said, I was a magnet for trouble and vampires.

So I just nodded, it was something I could discuss with Jacob later on. Like, _way _later on.

"Do you want to buy the dress, honey?" Esme asked, snapping me out of my thoughts. The dress! I hadn't remembered that I was still wearing it or that I really, really wanted it.

"Oh, yes!" I nodded, my eyes brightening up. "Can you check the price tag for me?" I turned around, pointing the tag on my back. She walked over and picked it up.

"It's only $2000, Bella. Seems like a good deal." She smiled up at me and I just stared at her in disbelief.

"What? For _this_? What's so special about it that makes it… well, so much?" I asked, my spirits sinking. There was no way I could blow $2000 on a stupid, wedding dress. _Oh, I'm sorry I called you stupid, wedding dress! I don't mean it…_

"Well it's obviously beautiful and loveable. People make money off those kinds of things. Guess you'll have to let us pay for it!" Alice replied happily.

"No! I said I wouldn't let you do that…" Right now I hated my stubbornness more than ever. Why couldn't I just give in and let them buy me the dress of my dreams?

"Bella, be reasonable…" Rosalie sighed, picking up a magazine and flipping through it.

"I'm sorry but being reasonable isn't possible for me. We'll find another dress." I tried to act like I hadn't really wanted the dress anyway.

The rest of the day passed quickly after that. I found a simple, light blue dress hoping that I would have at least Rosalie on my side. Once Emily came back she and I went out for lunch. Alice, Esme and Rosalie decided to go get lunch for them as well. They promised they would see me again in two days.

Two days without my vampires? It seemed horribly long, but I had gone on far longer without them before. I refused to show my dress to Jacob, so he refused to show me his tux. But tuxes pretty much all looked the same.

My last day before the Cullens came back from hunting; I was lounging on the beach with Jacob. We had gone over there to see the sun set.

"Isn't the sky beautiful tonight, Jake?" I stared at the wonderful shades of peachy pink and lavender that wove about the sky before the sun set.

"Yah, but not as beautiful as you…" he cooed into my ear, I pushed him away laughing.

"Don't be so cheesy!" I protested, trying to roll my eyes in that way that Rosalie had mastered so skillfully.

"But I can't help it, Bells! You're the Mac to my Cheese!" he put his hands over his heart to make it more dramatic, I just giggled at him.

"Oh, well… now you're gonna get it!" he pouted and started to tickle me. I screamed with laughter, trying to make him stop. Jacob unfortunately knew all my tickle spots and was not afraid to use them against me.

Finally I managed to get off the sandy ground and stand up. But he still lunged at me carefully, fingers ready to tickle. Laughing we both ran down the beach as he chased me, kicking up the sun as we went.

"Nah, nah… can't catch me!" I stupidly chanted while running into the shallow water, sticking my tongue out at him. He followed me in and I lightly splashed him, giggling. Jake splashed me back and soon we were having a major water fight.

After a few minutes of that I gave in and returned to his arms. He held me as we watched the sun go down, standing waist-high in the water. This was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

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Author's Note: Sorry this chapter took so long! I'll be getting Ch. 6 up in a day or so. A huge thank you to everyone who has reviewed, you guys are great. So, Eclipse! I won't say anything that would spoil the book for those who haven't read it yet. But I seriously just want to go and give Jacob a major hug. Found a mistake in the story? Is there something or somebody you really want to see? Do you want hot coffee to get poured all over Mike? Well, just REVIEW and let me know - Love you guys!


	6. Wayward Planning and the Denali Visit

"Alice, what the hell are you wearing?" Rosalie asked, leaning against the wall in Charlie's living room. Everyone turned their attention to Alice who had just walked through the door.

"Oh… my god, _Alice_!" I whined in horror. She was looking very happy in a tight pink shirt that said 'Official Wedding Planner' and Alice then turned around to show us that it said 'Betch!' on the back. Charlie started to choke on his coffee and had to leave the room.

Jasper was looking amused while sitting on my couch with Emmett and Carlisle. Alice skipped over with a ballerina's grace to sit in Jasper's lap. Rosalie glared at Emmett for looking at Alice's slogan, which was on her chest, a little too long.

"Alright, now that we are all here…" Esme began, standing in the middle of the room, "It is time to start our parts in Bella and Jake's wedding. Alice, it seems you are going to be the wedding planner?" Esme smiled at Alice, trying not to giggle.

"Of course, as long as Bella's okay with it." She looked over at me hopefully, I could only nod. "And I'm a bridesmaid, don't forget that!" she added.

"Okay, good. Now Bella, what can Rosalie and I do?" Esme asked, turning to face me. Rosalie turned her head, acting as if she really didn't care. But I think I could see a flicker of anticipation flash in her eyes.

"Oh well… Jake and I need to pick things like 'save the date' cards and invitations. And we haven't really decided on the guest list…" I trailed off, realizing just how much there was to planning a wedding. '_Maybe we could elope to Vegas; I hear we could get Elvis to sing at our reception…' _

"As the wedding planner I can contact people to get some samples, but I might be too busy to pick them up and coordinate that stuff…" You could see Alice calculating everything in her head, and trying to find some time in her schedule.

"I can do that," Rosalie volunteered, "I'm pretty good with people. I could be like, the delivery girl." She grinned, "That sounds sorta sexy…" She and Emmett shared a knowing look.

"Oh god." Alice's face twisted into an 'Ew' expression, but she still looked cute. "Rose, you can just be my assistant. Okay?" They agreed on that and I began to zone out a little. '_I wonder what Jake's doing right now…' _

"Bella, can I be your bodyguard?" I heard Emmett ask and Jasper sounded like he was trying to muffle his laughter.

"You don't think she's actually going to _need _one of those, do you?" Carlisle looked over at Esme, sounding concerned. "Forks is a nice community…"

"_Yaaah_, but Bella's a danger magnet!" Emmett strung out his words like an exasperated teenager, "So you never know if something is going to go down or not." He almost seemed to be making a point.

"Well, it is true that something _could potentially _go wrong…" As Esme said that, the Cullens shared a silent moment and looked at each other knowingly. I knew what they were thinking about, but I didn't want to go there.

"Um, I think I have to go…" I quickly grabbed my small Kipling bag that I used as a purse, and jogged to the door. "You guys can figure this sort of thing out while I'm gone. I'm gonna just go find Jake…"

Before they could protest, I was out the door and down the street. They could have caught me easily, but I was thankful to see that they were giving me space. I loved the Cullens, so I wasn't totally sure why I was running away from them. I was running away, right?

Once I was three streets down, I realized that I had forgotten my truck. But I didn't want to go back to get it, not while they were thinking of _him_. So I sullenly stuffed my hands in my pockets and continued to stroll into town.

* * *

**(Alice's PoV)**

It had been agreed that we would continue our conversation at our hotel. It didn't seem right to stay and probably pester Charlie on his day off. I was getting bored with just sitting around listening to everyone argue over whether Bella should have some sort of protection at her wedding.

It was true that we didn't fully trust the werewolves to behave, but no one could say that. Carlisle had asked me to keep an eye out on Edward's future, which at the moment was strangely active. I narrowed my eyes in frustration, trying to grasp onto a future.

I could feel Jasper's hands on my shoulder, "What do you see?"

Sighing, I shook my head. "I can't really tell… He might be heading for Antarctica… Wait no, I think its Denali."

"Well, that's good to hear he's getting some company. " Esme smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. We all knew it was way too close to Forks for comfort. I wasn't sure what Tanya and her lovely sisters knew, Carlisle or Esme might have mentioned something about coming back to Washington in their last phone calls.

"I'm pretty sure he'll stay there for awhile." I nodded, getting up from off the chair I was sitting in. Smoothing out my black silk blouse, I walked over to the phone. '_Should I call Bella's house? No, she most likely will be with Jacob Black.' _

It hurt to see Bella with anyone other than Edward; we knew the truth of the situation. But Bella seemed happy with Jacob, I guess that was what mattered. '_Oh well, at least I get to plan the wedding! And maybe Carlisle and Esme can just adopt Bella so she'll still be my sister...' _

* * *

**(Tanya's PoV)**

"Thanks for letting me stay, Tanya." Edward looked paler than any vampire should; I wondered when the last time he had gone hunting was. It had surprised me to see him standing at my doorstep.

"Of course, Edward. You know you are welcome anytime." Nodding, I took his jacket and shut the door quickly. "You know it is likely that Alice knows about this, right?"

A ghost of a smile played across his face. "I'm sure she knows everything I do."

We stood in the cottage I shared with my three sisters and brother. It was warm and comforting, but not as lavish and detailed as Esme's houses. Edward sat down in one of Kate's favorite armchairs. I sat opposite of him, trying to keep my thoughts scarce.

"Tanya, wh-what news do you have of my uh… family?" he asked, his eyes completely black. It was almost scary.

"Oh, let's see… Emmett talked to Irina only a few days ago, you know. He was saying something about Rosalie arriving from Italy… Then Esme and I talked a week ago, she mentioned this new building that was up in Washington that she really wanted to see. And then Carlisle stopped by a month ago…"

I could see Edward narrowing his eyes, "Washington?"

Oh, dear. I saw where this was going. "Nowhere _near _Seattle or Forks though!" I quickly sputtered out. He nodded and relaxed, knowing Esme's great love for architecture.

"Edward, is there anything I can do for you?" I asked, sighing. Hoping that the rest of the Cullens weren't stupid enough to actually go and see that Bella.

"Actually, there is… I'm too tired to hunt for myself…" he muttered, looking ashamed.

"Of course, I'll get right on that. You can stay here as long as you want, remember that." I got up and headed for the door. Before opening it, I looked over at the image of despair and loneliness a.k.a. Edward Cullen.

"Tanya, it's alright. I'll be here when you get back." He said, not moving but just staring at the wall opposite him. I nodded and stepped out into the cold Alaskan air.

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**Author's Note: I am so so sorry that it took me this long to update! I just started High School and it has been such a pain to adjust to everything. But I'm back! And oh my god, Edward's around! If you were wondering, Tanya's sister's names are Irina, Kate and Carmen. Her brother's name is Eleazar. All of this is according to the Twilight Lexicon, and they will probably show up again later in this story. Now my wonderful friends, review:) **


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